"You turn m/e inside out": Body models undone in The Lesbian Body

Area of Science:

• Literary Studies
• Feminist Theory
• Visual Culture Studies

Background:

• Anatomical models present a paradox, being both concrete and fantastical, objective yet value-laden.
• Monique Wittig's 1973 novel, *The Lesbian Body*, exemplifies these contradictory attributes.
• Wittig's work engages with materialist feminist theory and the agency of cultural signs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how Wittig's novel utilizes anatomical representations to explore the political and material agency of cultural signs.
• To examine Wittig's manipulation of instrumental and technical images within her literary work.
• To investigate the potential of visual strategies from hegemonic discourse to be used subversively.

Main Methods:

• Close reading of Monique Wittig's *The Lesbian Body*.
• Analysis of Wittig's materialist feminist theory.
• Examination of the properties of instrumental and technical images in relation to the novel.

Main Results:

• Wittig's novel dramatically showcases the political and material agency of cultural signs through its treatment of anatomical representations.
• The novel adeptly uses instrumental and technical images, which invite and disavow libidinal engagement.
• Wittig's work provocatively questions the deployment of hegemonic visual strategies against their originating disciplines.

Conclusions:

• *The Lesbian Body* is a vital text for understanding the intersection of feminist theory, visual culture, science, medicine, and pornography.
• Wittig's novel offers critical insights into the subversive potential of visual representation.
• The study underscores the significance of literary analysis in deconstructing scientific and medical visual culture.